Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
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Expanding financial assistance to disadvantaged students / Public Chapter 1018 — A new law will expand the Ben Atchley Grant, which was established in the 1990s to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged students. The measure allows for-profit, private postsecondary institutions that are accredited and domiciled in Tennessee to be able to provide the grant to its students. Just one college in the state, South College, which has locations in Knoxville and Nashville, meets these criteria. Th...
Civics institute at UT-Knoxville / Public Chapter 963 – The General Assembly approved legislation to establish the Institute of American Civics at Tennessee’s largest public university. The new law locates the institute within the Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy on the campus of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. The 2022-23 budget allocates $6 million for the project. A few of the seven objectives listed in the measure include to: foster a deeper understanding of the str...
Teaching virtues of capitalism in Tennessee schools/ Public Chapter 959 – A new law requires students to be taught the virtues of capitalism and the constitutional republic form of government of the United States and Tennessee. It calls for these forms of government to be compared to other political and economic systems such as comm unism and socialism. Effective April 2022. Cracking down on anti-Semitism in schools / Public Chapter 1075 - A new law codifies the prohibition of anti- Semitism i...
Alleviating school staffing challenges / Public Chapter 821- To address ongoing staffing challenges in schools, a new law allows retired members of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) to be reemployed as a K-12 teacher, K-12 substitute teacher, or as a K-12 bus driver without the loss or suspension of the retired member’s TCRS benefits. Currently, retired members of TCRS may return to work, but only for a maximum of 120 days. This bill removes that limit and extends service to o...
Ensuring fairness in girls’ sports K-12 / Public Chapter 909 - The General Assembly approved a new law to enforce legislation passed last year that prohibits biological males from participating in girls’ sports in public K-12 education institutions. The new law requires the Tennessee Department of Education to withhold a portion of state funds from public middle or high schools that fail or refuse to uphold state law and instead allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports at public K-12 s...
Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 / Public Chapter 744 — To increase transparency and oversight of instructional materials and literature used in public schools, a new law requires public schools to post online a list of the materials in their libraries. It also requires a standardized review framework to ensure school library collections are periodically evaluated for age-appropriateness. If a school should find a material is not age-appropriate based on student, parental or employee f...
Restitution for children of victims of DUI / Public Chapter 1056 — In the event a parent of a minor child is killed by an intoxicated driver, requires the convicted offender to pay restitution in the form of child maintenance to each of the victim’s children until each child reaches 18 years of age and has graduated from high school or the class of which the child is a member has graduated. The bill requires the court to determine a reasonable payment after considering factors including the fina...
HOPE awards increase, bill removes penalty for overachieving students Republican legislation to increase HOPE Scholarship amounts for Tennessee college students was approved by the General Assembly. House Bill 2152 increases the awards to $2,200 per semester through a student’s sophomore year and $2,850 per semester for their junior and senior years. The amounts have not been increased since 2008. HOPE scholarships for students enrolled in an eligible two-year public college would also i...
Republican supermajority delivers tax relief for every Tennessean - The 112th General Assembly’s $52.8 billion, zero-debt budget addresses the needs of all Tennesseans while advancing Republicans’ efforts to strengthen economic development, modernize infrastructure, improve health care and build safer communities. The Republican supermajority delivered on tax relief for Tennessee families and small businesses owners amid record-high inflation across the nation. Tennessee Republicans are com...
The 112th General Assembly adjourns sine die Republicans pass education, ethics reform, provide tax cuts for every Tennessean in final week - The 112th General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 28, concluding a successful legislative session highlighted by passage of major reforms to the state’s education funding formula known as the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act. The 2022 legislative session began in January with the Republican supermajority refocused on T...
Republicans pass Truth in Sentencing for 28 violent crimes - The House passed legislation that provides the accountability and truth in sentencing for victims of violent crimes. House Bill 2656, sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Cookeville and State Rep. Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport requires offenders to serve 100 percent of the sentences handed down by a judge or jury for an additional 28 violent offenses. Those crimes include attempted first-degree murder, second degree murder,...
The 112th General Assembly concluded on April 29, 2022. Below is highlights from this year’s session in funding from the $52 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Infrastructure and economic development: • $519 million in new road funding ($77 million for ECD projects included) • $100 million to complete IMPROVE Act projects • $82 million to reimburse public hospitals for uncompensated care, primarily in rural communities • $7.8 million for Rural Opportunity Grants to help communiti...
Republicans increase transparency, oversight of refugee and unaccompanied minor resettlements in Tennessee - The House chamber advanced and approved a series of bills this week that will bring more transparency and oversight to refugee and unaccompanied minor resettlements in Tennessee. House Bill 2868 requires the Tennessee Office for Refugees to submit at least a quarterly report to the department of finance and administration regarding refugee resettlement services statewide. The Tennessee...
State budget becomes central focus in final weeks of 112th General Assembly - On the Hill this week, Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley briefed members of the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee about Gov. Bill Lee’s updated budget plan for the 2022-23 fiscal year that begins July 1. Notable investments in the supplemental appropriations amendment include $78 million for Tennessee’s airports, $20 million for riverfront dock development in Memphis and $17 million in gra...
Ag Day on the Hill celebrates Tennessee’s No. 1 industry - Tennessee Ag Day on the Hill was celebrated March 22 on the Beth Harwell Plaza and highlighted the importance of the state’s agriculture industry. Among those in attendance were Tennessee farmers, agriculture officials, legislators, Tennessee College of Applied Technology students, 4-H and Future Farmers of America members. The event coincides with National Agriculture Week and recognizes the farmers and forestland owners who are ded...
Transparency in Sentencing for Victims Act passes House chamber - The House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed the Transparency in Sentencing for Victims Act. House Bill 2657 is designed to better inform crime victims and their families about how much time an offender will serve at the time of sentencing. The proposal would require all Tennessee courts to place on the record, either orally or in writing, the estimated number of years and months to be served before a criminal is...
Republicans protect students, employees against divisive concepts on campuses - The House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation that prohibits Tennessee’s public universities and colleges from taking adverse actions against students or employees for their viewpoints. House Bill 2670 aims to ensure diversity and inclusion efforts are not undermined by divisive concepts that seek to drive Tennesseans apart. It establishes that students nor employees may be discriminated against for r...
Legislation supporting foster youth services advances - The Government Operations Committee this week unanimously passed legislation aimed at enhancing the support system for youth in foster care. House Bill 2145 expands eligibility for Extension of Foster Care (EFC) Services, a wraparound services program for young adults still in DCS custody when they turn 18. House Bill 2145 is scheduled for consideration in the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee on March 9. Committee advances bill...
New K-12 education funding formula prioritizes students’ individual needs - Members of the General Assembly this week got their first look at Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to modernize how the state provides money for Tennessee’s K-12 public schools. Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn officially unveiled the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) on Thursday, Feb. 24 to replace the state’s current Basic Education Program (BEP) created in 1992. The proposal, House Bill 2143, e...
The General Assembly adopts “I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee” as state song - Members of the House were treated to a performance of newly adopted state song “I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee” on Thursday, Feb. 17. The song was performed by the group Dailey & Vincent along with songwriter Karen Stanley, left. Lawmakers unanimously approved House Bill 1731 in February adding the song to the list of officially recognized state songs. The song was approved unanimously by the Senate on Monday. Hou...
General Assembly confirms new Tennessee Supreme Court Justice - Members of the General Assembly confirmed the appointment of Sarah K. Campbell to the Tennessee Supreme Court in a joint session in the House Chamber on Thursday. Campbell most recently served as Tennessee’s Associate Solicitor General and Special Assistant to the Attorney General. In that role, she represented the state before the Tennessee Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals. She previously w...
Gov. Lee unveils 2022 legislative vision in State of the State address Tennessee: ‘America at its Best” - Gov. Bill Lee on Monday addressed a joint session of the General Assembly in the House Chamber in which he outlined his legislative priorities for 2022 and presented his budget proposal for the upcoming year. The governor’s fourth state of the state highlighted strategic investments in education, infrastructure, public safety, rural Tennessee and supporting families. He emphasized Tenne...
The General Assembly approves final redistricting plan -New redistricting maps received final approval by both chambers this week. House Bill 1034, House Bill 1035 and House Bill 1037 now head to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. Every 10 years, new House, Senate and Congressional maps are drawn to reflect population changes based on U.S. Census data. The plan complies with all state and federal requirements in the Voting Rights Act and is reflective of Tennessee’s growth. The final con...
House Committees begin work-The pace picked on Capitol Hill this week as House members worked to finalize their legislative proposals before the Feb. 2 bill filing deadline. House committees began to meet as bills are being introduced and referred to their respective committees. Omicron COVID-19 and TANF updates heard in Health Committee - The House Health Committee met Wednesday in Nashville to hear reports on the state’s COVID-19 status and progress made toward Tennessee’s Temporary Ass...
Tennessee General Assembly gavels in for 2022 The 112th General Assembly reconvened this week in Nashville for its second session as Republicans focus on a range of priorities that puts families first, improves education and public safety, strengthens the economy, promotes fiscal responsibility and limited government. The legislature adjourned a successful first session on May 5 following passage of a debt-free $42.6 billion balanced budget. The Volunteer State is experiencing tremendous...
